Maurice Pearson, born in Montreal, had become well-known as a vocalist for the Lawrence Welk orchestra from 1956 to 1961, and had appeared on Welk's ABC television series during that time. When he returned to Canada that year, he started a radio broadcast on the CBC, from Vancouver. His quarter hour television program ran for nine weeks in summer 1963, and featured a band led by trombone player Dave Robbins to accompany the tenor.